MIMIC
A Film Review by James Berardinelli
RATING (0 TO 10): 6.0 Alternative Scale: **1/2 out of ****
United States, 1997 U.S. Release Date: 8/22/97 (wide) Running Length: 1:40 MPAA Classification: R (Violence, gore, profanity) Theatrical Aspect Ratio: 1.85:1
Cast: Mira Sorvino, Jeremy Northam, Charles Dutton, Giancarlo Giannini, F. Murray Abraham, Josh Brolin, Alexander Goodwin Director: Guillermo Del Toro Producers: B.J. Rack Screenplay: John Sayles, Steven Soderbergh, Matthew Robbins Cinematography: Dan Lausten Music: Marco Beltrami U.S. Distributor: Dimension Films
It's dark, dank, and gloomy. The human survivors are trapped, prisoners in a structure from which all the escape routes have been cut off. The enemy, nightmarish creations of some special effects creature workshop, are closing in slowly but inexorably. One-by-one, the valiant heroes are picked off, several of them giving their lives so that their compatriots will have a better opportunity to survive.
What I have just described is the premise of James Cameron's action/science fiction classic, ALIENS. Without much alteration, it is also the premise of MIMIC, the newest release from Miramax's horror label, Dimension Films. In fact, the title of this motion picture is quite apt -- MIMIC does an excellent job of imitating not only ALIENS, but several other science fiction and horror features, including such odd choices as LEVIATHAN and THE THING. The derivative result is, as one might expect, moderately entertaining, but far from groundbreaking in its approach or execution.
What's perhaps surprising about this film is the quantity and quality of ability involved. On the acting side, two Academy Awards are represented (F. Murray Abraham and Mira Sorvino), in addition to the recognized talents of Charles Dutton, Jeremy Northam, and Giancarlo Giannini. The director is Guillermo Del Toro, who reinvented the vampire legend with his critically-acclaimed Mexican horror film, CRONOS. The script includes contributions from two indie giants, John Sayles and Stephen Soderbergh. With so many luminaries involved, therefore, it's a bit of a disappointment that MIMIC is so... ordinary.
The most interesting aspect of the film is probably the backstory that sets up the "bug hunt." This postulates that a devastating disease has stricken New York City. One by one, children are dying, and there's no end in sight. An etymologist by the name of Susan Tyler (Mira Sorvino) determines that the disease is being spread by cockroaches. In order to save thousands of lives, she heads a team of experts to genetically engineer a vicious-looking insect called the "Judas Breed" that is designed to kill the roaches. As developed in the lab, it is infertile and has a six-month life cycle. Tyler's team releases their creations onto the streets, the cockroaches are killed, and the disease is eradicated. All is calm, but only for three years. Then Tyler learns John Hammond's lesson from JURASSIC PARK -- supposed sterility isn't the definitive way of stopping procreation. The entire species of Judas Breed did not die out when it was supposed to. Mutated and evolved, the creatures now haunt the subways of New York city, awaiting an opportunity to swarm. Along with her husband, Peter (Jeremy Northam), a cop (Charles Dutton), and a concerned grandfather (Giancarlo Giannini), Tyler must venture into the dark, dangerous depths of New York's underground world to confront what her Judas Breed has become.
All of this is background, however. MIMIC's centerpiece is the survival game played out between humans and giant insects, and, while it's marked with moments of tension, the film is a little too familiar to get the adrenaline flowing. Del Toro is masterful at creating atmosphere, but there's only so far that can take a film, and the plot isn't strong enough to elevate the proceedings to a higher level. Most of MIMIC's true scares are of the obvious variety -- those that are enhanced by sudden surges of music. In fact, it has been a while since a movie has really given me the creeps, and this one doesn't change that.
Mira Sorvino seems miscast as the brainy, no-nonsense Dr. Tyler. Maybe the problem is that she's so good at playing bimbos (as in MIGHTY APHRODITE and ROMY AND MICHELLE'S HIGH SCHOOL REUNION) that it's hard to accept her as an egghead. More successful is Jeremy Northam as Susan's husband, the deputy director of the Center for Disease Control. Giancarlo Giannini is a pleasant addition to the cast, even if an early subplot involving his relationship with his grandson (Alexander Goodwin) is dragged out. F. Murray Abraham is on hand in a small role as "the voice of wisdom." The real star of MIMIC, however, is Charles Dutton, who plays a NYC cop with the kind of gusto that makes him the most real and likable member of the group.
With MIMIC, Miramax is probably hoping to reproduce the success of last year's SCREAM, the highest-grossing horror movie of all time. However, while this atmosphere-drenched film offers a few shocks, it lacks the knowing wit and genuine scariness of Wes Craven's 1996 offering. In essence, MIMIC is a B movie with an A-grade cast and production team. And that may be all you need to know to determine whether or not this is your kind of flick.
Copyright 1997 James Berardinelli
- James Berardinelli e-mail: berardin@mail.cybernex.net ReelViews web site: http://www.cybernex.net/~berardin
"A film is a petrified fountain of thought." - Jean Cocteau
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